Fledge Watch/ST boys & Rachel seen 7-20-17
By Rochester Falcon Watcher MAK
It was partly sunny and a muggy 68 (F) 20 (C) degrees
Click on the pics to see the full version
I went out to check for the Seneca Towers (ST) falcons at 8:10pm last night and was happy to see the brothers flying around Hawkeye (HE). They kept coming in and out of view as they would drift off behind the plant to the south side. A couple times one landed on different northwest corners of the roof briefly then off again.
At some point Joyce observed the boys playing on the south side roof in between my sightings from the north. I caught one of the juvies landing not so good on a roof which you’ll be able to see in my snippet video. It happens!
Around 8:30am I heard the familiar cries of a juvie and was able to make out 2 very fast flying falcons down in the gorge on the west side across from me. I could not get any pics until just before they flew under the bridge to the north and they were a blur!
The sun was setting as they came back through where I could see them again. This time they were on my side of the river just above the tree tops for one more round and then gone under the bridge again and that would be the last I saw of them. It was another gorgeous sun set. I watched a couple Great Blue Herons fly in and land on separate logs down in the river.
Around 8:50pm Joyce reported seeing Seth on an east side roof of HE and I was able to spot it from my vantage point on the 16th floor west side balcony and that would be all she wrote for last nights watch.
I began this mornings watch in the dark with the Beautyful one who was on the southeast corner of the 5 Star Bank. I started from Broad St. then drove over to Chestnut St. so I could see the front of her. She flew over to the RGE antenna and landed but took off while I was driving over to be closer to her so I went to the Court St. bridge (CSB) to join Dan.
Dan gave me his report that he had seen Rachel under the northeast wing of Times Square before she flew over to the Powers building and that Beauty had flew in to join her briefly. I checked the archives and found pics of them.
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I saw a falcon on Widows Walk (WW) about 25 minutes later. I think it may have been Rachel.
There were 2 adult Black-crowned Night Herons and a Great Blue Heron in the river between Court St. and Broad St. Sadly I haven’t seen any ducklings in two days.
Beauty was chased by Rachel over to the jail tower where they landed and left immediately heading northwest out of view behind the jail.
Around 6:50am Dan spotted somebody flying over the jail with a package. It looked large so probably a pigeon and we think it was probably Rachel as she was losing altitude and disappeared somewhere over the jail. Dan left after that sighting and I went in search of. After a trip around downtown I came upon Beauty on the north side railing of WW from Fitzhugh St. She had her back to me and at first sight she was pulling white down feathers from her left side. Molting is itchy and painful for them.
She turned around, fanning her tail nicely showing the gap where a feather was pulled out of it. Our Beautyful one is looking a bit raggedy these days while she molts!
I shared space with her for half hour or so and then she stretched and took off to the southwest.
I drove around downtown twice and didn’t find any falcons until I spotted Beauty on the jail tower from Troup St.
I ended my watch at 8am after beginning and ending my watch with my favorite falcon who never fails to make me smile! 🙂
Click on the links below to check out snippet videos from last night and this mornings watches
